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The Flying Dutchman	By : BrethlessM Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 3366 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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A/N: Hello all! Sorry for the delay - I went to visit my best friend for four days. However, I did manage to get this next chapter done while I was away, and I hope to have another within the next few days. I really want to thank my reviewers - freelke, fortunesque, and junkpuppet - you guys rock and you make my day! Just so you know, I'm planning on having at least four more chapters in this story, and I was planning on ending it tragically at that point. However, I have to admit that I'm a sucker for J/E stories, and since I know I'm going to get tarred and feathered by the end of this one, I'm going to indulge my muse and do a sequel in which the story ends more to my personal tastes. Feel free to read it, or not, but I wanted to put the word out there! I don't know how long it'll be yet - I'll wait till this one's done before fleshing the sequel out more fully. I've got some great ideas though, so I hope you'll come along with me! - Love, Kimberlee

Chapter Six

When Jack woke, he found himself surrounded by a thin bright light that made him groan in pain. He squeezed his eyes more tightly shut and blindly groped around for the bottle of rum he always kept beside his bunk.

Instead, his hand fell on a mess of hair, and Jack�s eyes shot open in surprise and confusion. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the amount of sun coming in through the thinly curtained windows of Elizabeth�s sitting room, but it was enough time for Jack to remember where he was. Looking down at the floor beside the settee on which he had slept, he found William curled up in a brown quilt on the rug.

The boy was waking slowly from Jack�s touch, and a light brown pair of eyes blinked sleepily up at him. Jack smirked. �Morning, Mate, sleep well?�

William nodded and his eyes fell closed again. �I was afraid you�d leave,� he mumbled.

Jack�s smile vanished. It both touched and worried him that William was so concerned. It would make it that much more difficult when he eventually had to leave � assuming he would have to. He had all of today and till sundown tomorrow before Will returned to his family, and Jack was nowhere near ready to admit defeat with Elizabeth.

Both Jack and William were mostly upright when Elizabeth entered the sitting room, fully dressed. She was moving quickly and seemed frantic, but she stopped suddenly when she saw her son on the floor, slumped in a drowse against the side of the settee. �William,� she breathed, relieved. She looked at his quilt. �Did you sleep in here?�

William nodded again, slowly getting to his feet and going to give his mother a hug. She returned it fiercely. �Go on to the kitchen then,� Elizabeth said finally. �I�ll be along to fix breakfast.�

She didn�t look at Jack until her son had disappeared into the next room. �Morning, Jack,� she said finally.

Her tone was warm, but matter-of-fact, as though she were setting boundaries. Jack grinned. He loved boundaries� specifically, the crossing of them. Lurching awkwardly to his feet, Jack was across the room so quickly that Elizabeth blinked. He always stood well within another person�s personal space � it threw them � but he was so close to Elizabeth that another step forward and he�d be on top of her. Which wasn�t a bad thought, either.

Elizabeth�s breath caught in her throat as Jack took her small hand in his and pulled it towards his mouth. Never taking his twinkling eyes off her wide ones, he placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand before turning it over and placing a second in her palm. �Morning, love,� he chuckled.

He�d disappeared into the kitchen before Elizabeth had recovered enough to get angry. Growling shortly, she began stomping towards the kitchen to tell him off for his impertinence when a brisk knock at the door made her stomach flutter. She�d expected a response to Jack appearance from the neighbors but they�d rallied a lot sooner than she�d thought.

Composing herself, Elizabeth prayed silently as she went to open the door. Her suspicions were, of course, correct. Standing on her porch were all of the women from her sewing circle and then some. Mrs. Ellis stood cheerfully to one side of her doorway with � to Elizabeth�s dismay - Mrs. Emily Ralston on the other. Behind them, Mrs. Jenson stood smiling with her seventeen year-old, unmarried daughter, along with Mrs. Marks, who had brought her sister, Mrs. Webb.

Elizabeth smiled at the six women. �Good morning,� she greeted them.

�Morning, dear,� Mrs. Ellis seemed to be spokeswoman. �Please forgive us, but I mentioned to Emily that your brother had returned and she thought up the marvelous idea to come and welcome him properly.� Despite her words, Elizabeth could see in her eyes that she felt guilty for the invasion. The corner of Elizabeth�s mouth twitched in amusement.

Mrs. Ralston however, was oblivious. �Yes� it�s not often that one of own returns, and with your Will coming so soon we thought you might appreciate a few good meals� and it would give us a change to meet your brother.� Her eyes darted over Elizabeth�s shoulder as if hoping to catch a glimpse of Jack. �I don�t remember you saying anything about him � where has he been?�

�The East, mostly,� Jack answered, appearing behind Elizabeth and opening the door wider. �Lots of spices � silk.� His eyes darted humorously over the welcoming committee. �I�m Jack,� he added.

Elizabeth stared at him in shock, trying not to let it show. Jack had run the comb through his hair and tied it back with a piece of ribbon. It hung in a long thick rope halfway down his back, turning him from a wild lion into a sleek tiger. He was wearing the dark brown cap she had knit for Will, and in his borrowed clothing, he looked every inch the normal sailor he claimed to have once been. His face was clean from last night�s bath, and in the morning light she could clearly see the delicateness of his facial structure, which she had never pondered before. He had such presence as a pirate that she�d never noticed that his physique was actually quite leaner than she�d imagined.
Furthermore, he was behaving like a completely different person. As she watched him be introduced to the party by Mrs. Ellis, Elizabeth saw that he was being charming without also being annoyingly ingratiating. He was not quite as unbalanced or unfocused as he usually was either. He was just unsteady enough to betray an unfamiliarity with dry land, as was befitting a sailor. Even his speech pattern had changed from slurred and crude to crisp and almost cultured. It was as though a mask had been stripped away from his face, and Elizabeth was suddenly unsure that she really knew Jack Sparrow at all.
�Ah � such a lovely young daughter you have, Mrs. Jenson,� Jack said, bowing slightly to kiss the hand of the homely Sarah Jenson with a smile. �It is times like this that I regret that my first and only love is the sea.�
�But surely it needn�t remain that way, Mr. Swann,� said a giggling Mrs. Jenson as her daughter blushed with a delighted smile. �There are many men who leave wives behind in our fair city while they pursue that same affection.�
Jack sighed, as though with regret. �Sadly, I am one of those men who must give all of himself, or leave none at all. I would not allow any woman to feel even a moment of sadness that I could not devote to her the entirety of my heart. But I am content,� he said to the crowd of awestruck women, �to leave that heart in the possession of the sea� and with my lovely Elizabeth.�
Elizabeth started, and their eyes met. Though he grinned, his eyes seemed to be speaking to her, and she had to look away quickly or she�d blush. �Would you like to stay for breakfast, ladies?� she blurted. �I�m sure I have enough to feed all of us��
�Why, don�t be silly, Elizabeth!� Emily admonished, and Elizabeth noticed they were all carrying baskets, trays or pots in their hands. �We wouldn�t have arrived uninvited without bringing our own provisions. We�re not that uncouth.� She led the women through the door and towards the kitchen, and each gave Elizabeth a smile, or a kiss on the cheek as they passed.
�What a remarkable man, that brother of yours,� Mrs. Jenson gushed as she passed. �So romantic � and good looking, too,� she added.
�Sorry for the bombardment, Elizabeth,� Mrs. Ellis whispered. �I opened my mouth and, well, you know Emily.�
Elizabeth and Jack were finally the only two remaining on the porch, and they stood staring at each other for a moment. Jack preened in amusement under the look she was giving him, as though he were too far away and she couldn�t see him clearly. �What�s the matter, Love?� he asked using his regular voice. �Am I not suitably presentable to entertain?�
Elizabeth�s voice caught slightly in her throat as she spoke softly. �You were wonderful. Thank you, Jack.� She stepped closer to him � so close that he held his breath in anticipation. �But I think I like you better as a pirate.�
Jack was left alone on the porch as Elizabeth went inside after her guests. He thought over her words, and decided that she�d meant them as a compliment. With a grin on his face and a slight bounce in his step, Jack went inside the house, shutting the door behind him.

By the afternoon, Elizabeth was thoroughly annoyed with Jack, but not for any of the reason�s she might have expected to be. He had behaved like a gentleman all morning, listening to the chatter of the visiting ladies as if there wasn�t anywhere he�d rather be. He only spoke about himself when pressed, and even then he only shared enough to satisfy, without indulging in his love of a captive audience for his fantastic tales. He had turned aside the advances made by Mrs. Jenson on her daughter�s behalf with such skill that both ladies left after breakfast smiling more brilliantly than when they�d come in.

He�d even sat through a few of Emily Ralston�s Jack Sparrow stories without betraying the slightest hint of interest or amusement in the story beyond the teller herself. If Elizabeth hadn�t known better, she would have believed the act Jack was putting on. When Sarah Jenson whispered to Elizabeth on her way out the door that she was lucky to have such a man in her life, Elizabeth felt the words echo within her, and she felt a desire to go and lie down until everyone had left and the real Jack could emerge again � the one who�d flirt with her outrageously, even though she was a married woman.

But even after their company departed, Jack continued with his charade. She hadn�t seriously expected him to help with her preparations for Will�s homecoming, but everywhere Elizabeth turned, Jack was there to lend a hand. It was just after dinner that she found Jack and William beginning to whitewash the house, and felt she could no longer stand it.

�Jack!� she shouted from near the corner of the house. She didn�t want William to overhear her conversation � he had stuck by Jack�s side all day, and she couldn�t bear to think of the hurt it would cause him if he thought that Jack was only humoring him.

With a quick word and a wink to William, Jack dropped his paintbrush into the bucket and sauntered over, following her around the corner of the building with his familiar swagger in place. The normalcy of it gave her strength, and she folded her arms across her chest, glaring at him.

Jack grinned. He knew the effect his attitude was having on her, and it thrilled him � she was beautiful when she was angry. �Something the matter, Love?�

�I want you to stop� this,� she said with vague gesture.

�Stop what? The whitewashing?� Jack pretended to be confused. �Thought you said you wanted it done, but if you want us to stop��
�I mean this!� she pointed at him. �This act � pretending to be helpful and caring when we both know exactly what you�re doing.�
Jack leaned against the side of the house. �And what�s that, Love?�
She sighed. �Jack � I don�t want you using my son to get to me. It�s despicable.�
He frowned, and his eyes took on a fierceness she�d only seen once before � when she�d chained him to the mast. �No.� He began slowly. �I may be a lot of things, Elizabeth, but even I�m better than that - and you know it,� he said. He stood up straight and took a threatening step closer to her. �So why don�t you cut through the bollocks and tell me what�s truly buzzing �round that insidious little mind of yours.�
Elizabeth took a step backwards, uncertain. �I don�t want him getting hurt,� she told him.
�No, nor do I,� Jack said. �I happen to like the lad � despite his resemblance to darling Will� or is that it?� he asked suddenly. �Is it that William hasn�t asked after his father since I�ve arrived?�
That was it, Elizabeth realized, and she gave Jack a resounding slap across the face. She regretted it immediately, knew he�d just been baiting her, but she said nothing as he straightened again with a hand to his jaw. Without a word, he turned around and headed back towards the side of the house where he�d left William. �Jack!� she called, chasing after him just before he reached the corner.
She grabbed his arm, and in an instant, he swept around, pushing her back against the wall, his face only inches from hers. He was staring at her lips, but didn�t move any closer. Elizabeth breathed deeply, staring at his face.
�Why are you making this so hard for me?� she asked softly.
�I�m not the one who made it hard, Love,� he breathed, voice just as ragged as her own. �Here you are � wrapped yourself up in this tidy little world full of stories � like none of it really happened. But you forgot one thing�� his voice dropped and his head moved ever so slightly closer.
�What?� she said in a whisper, already knowing the answer.
� �m Captain Jack Sparrow.�
�Mother? Uncle Jack?�
Both Jack and Elizabeth jumped, and she moved away to turn around the corner of the house. �We�re just here, William � we�ll be with you in a minute.� She turned back to face Jack but he was already there, waiting for her. He drew her close, but not as close as before.
� �s not an act, Elizabeth,� he said. �You said you always knew I was a good man� now I�m only proving it. Because you were right,� he grinned, and she trembled a little. �I do want to know what it tastes like.
�It�s too late, Jack,� her heart ached, even as she said it.
�Way I see it,� he said, �I�ve got just as good a chance as your husband. Even better,� he added, �since I�m here, and he�s not.�
�Jack,� Elizabeth moaned, not knowing if she was begging him to stop or continue.
�Two days, Love,� his lips brushed against her forehead as he spoke. �It�s been ten long years� for all of us. Let�s see where the wind blows.�
He left her then, leaning against the wall for support, unsure of what had just happened. For ten years she�d looked unswervingly forward towards the day when Will would come back to her and they could have their life together. She�d never doubted, never strayed. She�d loved Will with a burning passion as she�d waited, raising their son� and in less than one day, Jack Sparrow had made her question every decision she�d made since he�d lowered her to the sea in his longboat all those years ago.
There was one thing Elizabeth didn�t question though. It was too late. No matter what confusion Jack�s presence had created in her, Will � her beloved Will � was counting on her. Without her faithfulness, he would be doomed to more than just a ten year sentence as Captain of the Flying Dutchman. She held his heart, and she was his salvation. She would never let him down, not now.
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The Flying Dutchman